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Sweden has joined NATO after an impasse of almost two years. The Scandinavian EU country officially joined the defense alliance on Thursday. In the future it will consist of 32 allies. That is twice as many as during the Cold War.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg spoke of a “historic day”. After more than 200 years of non-alliance, Sweden now enjoys the protection granted under Article 5, “the ultimate guarantee of the freedom and security of the Allies.” At the same time, Sweden’s accession also makes NATO stronger. The country has an efficient armed forces and a first-class defense industry.

The application for membership was made in 2022

Sweden applied for membership in May 2022 under the impression of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and hoped to join the following summer. However, alliance members Turkey and Hungary held up the accession process for more than a year.

The necessary consent from Hungary ultimately only came at the end of February after a visit by Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Several agreements on arms cooperation were announced. They stipulate, among other things, that Hungary can purchase four new Jas 39 Gripen fighter jets from Sweden.

Turkiye makes demands

Before Hungary, Turkey in particular had blocked Sweden’s accession to NATO for a long time. Ultimately, the country only gave the necessary permission after Sweden promised greater efforts in the fight against terrorist organizations. Ankara was particularly concerned about the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is also classified as a terrorist organization by the EU. The US government has also promoted a process to sell F-16 fighter jets to Turkey.

Together with Sweden, Finland has also applied for NATO membership in 2022. However, the country was welcomed into the alliance as the 31st member in April last year.

Head of government hands over accession certificate

Sweden’s accession to NATO was sealed on Thursday during a visit to Washington by Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. There he presented the accession certificate to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, after the US State Department confirmed receipt of Hungarian consent. This is the so-called depository of NATO’s founding treaty and is responsible for registering documents relating to the so-called North Atlantic Treaty.

Stoltenberg has recently repeatedly emphasized that, in his view, the entry of Finland and Sweden into the alliance is a clear sign of the failure of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s policies. Putin went to war against Ukraine with the stated goal of having less NATO presence in Europe and preventing further expansion of the alliance, he explained. Now Putin is getting exactly the opposite of what he wanted.

NATO emphasizes a defensive character

At the same time, NATO emphasizes that there is no reason why Russia feels threatened by northern expansion. The alliance also contradicts claims that the alliance wants to literally encircle Russia. According to NATO information, of the more than 20,000 kilometers long Russian land border, even after the expansion, only about eleven percent is currently a NATO border.

According to Stoltenberg, a ceremony to mark Sweden’s accession will take place at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Monday. The Swedish flag will also be raised in front of the alliance’s headquarters. (sda/dpa/lyn)